GOMBAK: Five two-storey terrace houses in Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang near here, in which followers of Global Ikhwan Service and Business (GISB) Holding Sdn Bhd live in, are vacant.
The occupants were believed to have left the premises two days ago.
This was what a team comprising police and the Social Welfare Department's enforcement division found during checks at the five houses at 5.30am today.
Berita Harian, which took part in the operation with five separate teams, which went to each house, found the 'targets' unoccupied.
However, there were clothes and vehicles at the houses.
A neighbour, who declined to be identified, informed the teams that children lived in the houses.
The neighbour said the children would be seen playing in the compound of the houses which have fenced security.
"Prior to that, they (the children) often gathered at the playground or the house compound, but they have not been seen doing this since Thursday.
"We saw several cars in front of every house a few days ago and we believe they (GISB followers) left the houses," the neighbour told Berita Harian during the raid.
The check on the first houseshowed that the premises may have been used as a welfare home and that about 20 children lived with their guardians. There were clothes still being hung on the clothes lines and seven children's bicycles.
There was a coop with quails at the back of the house. The backyard was renovated to become a place to bathe.
Information about the areas to target in this operation was obtained via previous investigations.
BH says all the houses were believed to have been abandoned in haste.
Besides this raid in Bandar Tasik Puteri by Bukit Aman, there were others conducted by the state police nationwide against elements which have links to GISB.
On Sept 11, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the police rescued 402 minors from alleged exploitation by GISB Holdings in a major operation across two states under the codename Op Global.
The victims, aged between one and 17, were allegedly exploited at 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan.
He had said the victims, who were locals, had endured various forms of exploitation and abuse including being sodomised.
The 201 boys and 201 girls from 18 charity homes in Selangor and two in Negri Sembilan were rescued between 6am and 11am.
GISB has since denied the allegations of child exploitation and sexual abuse.
The company's chief executive officer, his wife, their adult children and several top management members are among 19 people who have been arrested to facilitate investigations.